This invention is in the field of inflatable articles made of plastic sheet used as promotional displays and toys. More particularly, this invention is an inflatable article having the form of an car whose shape and graphics thereon is used to promote a particular source, such as the famous NASCAR organization and to serve as a toy.
The field of inflatable promotional displays has long included articles such as replicas of beer bottles, blimps, cameras, cartoon characters, famous buildings, footballs and other sports and commercial items, persons and animals.
Primarily, these articles are intended to stand alone or to be suspended; however, by their nature of being inflated low-density, balloon-like articles, they are generally not stable when pushed or tipped and not suitable to be mobile or motorized.
In the field of promotional display articles, the most popular articles are small, relatively heavy items like desk clocks, glass snow-globes, pen and pencil sets in marble stands, calculators and even radios. In summary, promotional displays are normally not toys that are mobile. This is logical, since their purpose is to be seen in a designated place and seen repeatedly by as many people as possible.
Examples of inflatable structures to replicate actual products include applicant""s own U.S. Pat. No. 5,512,002 for an inflatable car, U.S. Pat. No. 6,161,902 for an inflatable chair and U.S. Pat. No. 6,322,107 for an inflatable polyhedron calendar. These patents particularly U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,509 disclose a conventional structure and method of manufacturing an inflatable car of the present invention our of PVC plastic sheet. These patents are incorporated by reference for their disclosures of these materials, structures and manufacturing techniques known in the prior art.
Long ago, it was realized that one of the easiest, quickest and least expensive ways to create a large display was to utilize inflatable replicas of the product being sold, such as beer bottles, hot dogs, cameras and even cars. Large inflatable balloon-like replicas might be filled with helium and tied to the ground or merely filled with air and situated on a support surface but they are too unstable to be motorized.
The background of this invention further includes remote and radio controlled toys which include cards, trucks, planes and boats. Exemplary U.S. patents that disclose such toys include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,816,352, 5,762,533, 5,709,583, 5,481,257, 5,429,543, 5,050,505, 4,966,569, 4,406,085, 4,334,221, 4,168,468, 4,161,077 and 4,160,253 all of which are incorporated herein by reference for their disclosures of know radio control transmitters, receivers and motorized drive units for actuating said toys.
The present invention combines two old concepts into a novel and entertaining inflatable promotional display. More specifically, the new invention, in effect, marries (a) a balloon-like, inflatable racing car replica with (b) a motor drive normally associated with a rigid metal or plastic body, to result in an unexpectedly delightful radio-controlled inflatable car. Such a marriage would normally not even be contemplated because motorized vehicles, such as cars and trucks are invariably relatively small and relatively heavy and rigid metal or plastic frames which can readily be secured to the drive unit, and can be readily maneuvered.
To achieve such an inexpensive marriage of the diverse elements of a large balloon-like car with a small radio-controlled drive unit, applicant-designed a cavity or pocket in the lower surface of the car""s plastic sheet body. Such inward cavity is unusual since most elements of an inflatable article project outward, such as arms, ears, or any parts driven outward by the air pressure within. The only inward-extending cavities in an outwardly inflatable article known to applicant are found in applicant""s own inflatable chair and its own inflatable snack table. In the chair, the cavity is a pocket on a top surface of the armrest to receive a beer can. Clearly, this cavity has to be oversized so that the beer can will be easily inserted and removed. In the snack table, the cavity is also on a top surface to receive a food bowl. Both of these inflatable products merely receive an article in a top surface cavity, and neither allows the inflatable product to function in a different way because of the changed sructure and the new combination of elements.
In the new invention an inward extending cavity is provided in contrast to all other elements which extend outward when the car is inflated. This cavity has inward extending side walls which grasp the drive unit as the side walls tend to billow laterally toward each other, and against the outer walls of the drive unit. This, with optional additional securing means, retains the drive unit within the cavity and thus within the balloon-like auto replica. This structural arrangement adds to realism, as the drive unit, located under the center of the auto, is not readily visible. Also, this positioning at the center of the gravity of the inflated auto allows it to remain upright and stable while it travels on the motor-driven wheels.
Such an auto replica bearing promotional graphics, traveling about on a floor and turning and reversing under otherwise invisible radio control is an amusing sight largely because it is so unexpected to see what appears to be a very large toy maneuvering about without visible human direction. Prior to the present invention it was not practical to have a three-foot long radio-controlled toy car of metal or plastic body, because a large and powerful motor and drive unit would be required, and it would be heavy, expensive and a nuisance to store. The present invention provides numerous advantages, beginning with (a) the small size when uninflated, stored or shipped (b) its very low cost and (c) its relatively large size for a mobile replica car (which has the benefits of a toy for children and adults while primarily being a promotional display).
The present invention in its preferred embodiment is a remote controlled inflatable car as seen in the drawings appended hereto.
As seen herein, essentially all parts of this inflatable vehicle extend outward as is normal in an article of flexible plastic sheet material inflated with air. Thus, the body side walls, roof, hood, rear deck and bottom are all blown outward due to the internal air pressure, as is known in the prior art and as exemplified in applicant""s U.S. Pat. Nos. D419,207 and 5,512,002 for inflatable cars.
The unique difference in the present invention is an inward-extending cavity in the bottom wall which receives and holds a radio receiver and power drive unit including steerable front wheels and rear drive wheels, where the vehicle is controllable to move forward or rearward optionally at varying speeds and to turn. This radio-controlled transmitter receiver and steerable drive unit is well-known in the prior art as commonly used in small rigid body metal or plastic vehicles which are often operated as midget race cars, fire engine, or the like. All these vehicles are designed to appear as replicas of real vehicles with the drive wheels being the actual front or rear wheels of the vehicle, and the steered wheels being the actual front wheels of the vehicle.
The new invention has front and rear wheels that are realistic in appearance, but do not rotate, and a second set of front and rear wheels extending from the drive unit situated under the bottom surface of the car near the midpoint thereof. This drive unit is an integrated assembly of a power supply established by common batteries, a radio receiver having multiple channels coupled to various drive elements for operating a steering mechanism associated with the front wheels, and for forward and rearward drive-mechanized speed control associated with the rear wheels.